Vineyard

I would be going away for the summer so I wanted to have a good dinner with K before I leave. After the usual research and restaurant hunting online, I decided on Vineyard. Whats better than a quiet and scenic place for a good meal!



If you know the general way to HortPark, the place is quite easy to find.




I can see myself on one of these rocking chairs with a beer in my hand.










 Outdoor seating







 

 
Bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

 
Mussels Meuniere with sauvignon blanc and normandy butter - SGD $20

We started off our dinner with this pot of mussels. When it first came, there was a overpowering stench coming from the pot. So, we had it sent back to the kitchen. The waitress came back out with the pot and said it's just the smell of the mussels and that their mussels are all fresh and delivered on that day itself. Given that assurance, we dug in. I had one or two juicy mussels that were undoubtedly fresh, but in the mix were also a few that tasted stale. That stench must have came from those. A bite into those stales one definitely spoilt this dish for us. When soaked in the sauce, the fresh mussels were quite tasty


Coq au Vin - $29
cabernet sauvignon braised corn-fed game hen with Paris mushrooms and potato mousseline

Next up was the main course, Coq au Vin. I like this dish. The chicken meat was soft and tender and very well infused with the gravy. The tender meat coupled with crispy chicken skin is a perfect combination. The gravy has this herb'ish taste to it but the aftertaste is unique and very pleasant on the taste buds. Together with mushrooms and mashed potatoes, it has everything I like in one dish. Thumbs up.  

 
Duck confit - $32
Crispy Duck Confit with sauteed extra fine beans, bacon, potato mousseline, toasted almonds and sage-infused orange sauce

K had the duck confit as her main course. She's a fan of duck, so when her initial choice of Pork Rack wasn't available, I knew she would pick this. There was lesser hype for this dish. The duck meat was dry compared to its poultry partner that I had. The orange sauce did add some flavour to the dish but it still wasn't as good as we expected a duck confit to be. Also, the portion was pretty small.


Lemon Lava Cake with Creme Chantilly - $13

Ever tried a Lemon lava cake ? Neither have we. So we went for it. I think the key to a good lemon-dessert lies in the .... no secret here, lemon flavour. You don't want the lemon flavour to smell like detergent , or for it to be too sweet or too sour. The balance is very delicate here. I didn't think Vineyard got the flavour right. I was expecting a fusion of the sponge and the lemon lava but they were more like 2 separate entities. 


Also, the creme chantilly tasted pretty artificial and lacked sweetness. The crispy cracker was pretty good though. The worst thing about this dish was that it was served on a flat plate. The lemon lava was flowing off the plate and we were desperately trying to prevent it from flowing onto the table

I think, on the whole, the dining experience could have been better. Also, for the price that we paid, the food was a little disappointing.

33 Hyderabad Road
#02-02
Hort Park

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Love , X

X's rating of Vineyard: 6/10